DEVELOPMENT
Fundamentally, the manager or managers you
support need to believe that you are on their team
and fully invested in supporting them to deliver
to a high standard. The key stakeholders around
them need to believe that you are operating at a
pace and standard reflective of the demands of
your boss’ job.
Characteristics
of a great EA
How well do you influence your executive’s
approach, or the standard of outcomes they
achieve? Asks Karen Gately.
THE EXPERT
Karen Gately, founder
of Corporate Dojo,
is a leadership and
people-management
specialist. Karen works
with Leaders and HR
teams to drive results
through the talent and
energy of people.
If you’re struggling to play a bigger role, take
comfort in the fact that you are far from alone.
The range of impact EAs have on leadership and
organisational success is undeniably broad. Some
EAs are highly respected influencers, others
struggle to play a significant role, often because
the very people they support won’t let them.
The extent to which any EA is able to influence
and drive outcomes ultimately comes down to
the depth of trust and respect they earn. The
simple reality is, your ability to influence anyone
is directly proportionate to their willingness to let
you. Underpinning that willingness is the depth
of trust and respect they feel.
Trust is driven by the beliefs people hold about
both your character and competence. Belief in
the strength of your skills and experience is just
the starting point. What matters from there is that
the people you work with trust and respect your
character. That is the person you are, the values
you hold, and the attitudes and behaviours you
bring.
Commitment
Taking ownership of your role and your executive’s
success is a first order priority. Focus placed
on important priorities, demonstrated through
investment of time and energy in driving essential
outcomes, is what most senior leaders are looking
for from their EA. Holding yourself accountable
to baseline expectations on your role is non-
negotiable. Holding yourself accountable to
ambitious objectives is necessary if you want to be
regarded as a great EA.
Collaboration
Reflect for a moment on how often you have
heard an EA referred to as a ‘gate-keeper’. Do
you find yourself at times wearing that label as a
badge of honour? If so, think carefully about the
signals it sends to people you ultimately need
to influence. The purpose of gate-keeping is to
restrict access and keep unwelcome visitors out.
That is hardly the position from which you are
likely to earn the depth of trust and respect you
need to be a great EA.
Of course, it matters that you control the
demands on your executive’s time. At times
that will mean saying no, or delaying people for
longer than they would like. However, if you are
typically seen as someone who is a team player
and supportive of collective team outcomes, most
people will be comfortable with the decisions you
need to make to bring order to your boss’s world.
Integrity
While integrity means different things to different
people, common definitions include operating
with honesty, fairness and good intention.
Strong moral principles of decency, sincerity
and truthfulness lead to trust and respect from
most people. In the role of EA, you have endless
opportunity to earn or lose respect based on the
depth of integrity you bring to your role.
For example, most EAs have access to
private information and are privy to sensitive
conversations and goings-on. Your ability to
maintain confidentiality and be discreet is
fundamental to your ability to earn and maintain
trust.
Emotional maturity
Let’s face it, no one likes working with someone
who is emotionally unpredictable, and likely to
have a meltdown if things don’t turn out the way
they want them to. Reflect on your own emotional
maturity. How well do you take on board
constructive feedback, deal with challenging
people in a calm and rational way, or simply
process frustrations that are holding you back?
While none of us is perfect, having a reputation
for being a mature professional who is capable of
responding to challenge with composure is key.
Great EAs bring order to chaos, they don’t make
themselves a part of the problem. S
www.corporatedojo.com
Issue 3 2019 | Chief of Staff 55